New Mario Bros. slips a week

DS owners can't wait to get their hands on the next likely blockbuster from Nintendo. The problem is they're going to have to--and now a week longer than previously expected.

The official Web site for New Super Mario Bros. now lists May 21 as the game's release date. This is the third "new" release date the game has had in just over a month, slipping from May 7 to May 15, and now to the 21.

Nintendo brings the plucky plumber siblings back to their roots in New Super Mario Bros., abandoning a 3D perspective for 2D side-scrolling action like the 1985 classic Super Mario Bros. Like several Mario-themed games before it, New SMB begins with eternal enemy Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach...again.

The game isn't strictly a throwback to the old school. Mario will have several new abilities, such as a move that allows him to break blocks below him, and new power-ups to pick up. There is also a competitive mode that pits brother against brother, as well as several minigames to play.

Though Nintendo hasn't announced a reason for the game's delays, the Nintendo faithful who frequent the message boards speculate that the company is timing the game's release to coincide with the North American debut of the DS Lite.

New Super Mario Bros. is rated E for Everyone and will retail for $34.99. For more information on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.